No Decision On Play Calling; Garrett Sees Pros Of Delegating

PHOENIX – No determinations have been made regarding which coach will be calling plays for the Cowboys next season.

But head coach Jason Garrett continues to stress the added responsibilities when calling the plays and the advantages of being a walk-around head coach, making it sound like his role as play-caller may be delegated to offensive coordinator Bill Callahan.

“There are good arguments on both sides of it,” Garrett said. “But again, they are two very significant jobs with a lot of responsibility, and the more you delegate and give other guys responsibilities and still get the result you want, I think that’s a better way to do things. So we are still evaluating all of that.”

Garrett said the decision-making process is still ongoing.

“It’s always been a collective process of how we call plays, in terms of our staff being together, our game planning, our communication during the game, so that won’t change,” he said. “Some of the mechanics we still have to work out as we go forward, but nothing has changed from the last time we talked.”

Owner/general manager Jerry Jones and Callahan have emphasized during the offseason that whatever decision is ultimately made will be up to Garrett. The head coach said he’s debated the best route to take for the last two and a half years. He understands all the responsibilities a head coach adds on when he decides to call the plays.

“There is a reason that 28 of the 32 head coaches don’t do it,” Garrett said.

But he also said there are also compelling reasons why coaches do call plays, and he thinks what the Cowboys have done the last couple years has been “relatively successful.”

Garrett’s already consulted with multiple people around the league to get input, including coaches who’ve been in similar situations. He’s talked to head coaches who call plays and others that don’t and is still in the process of weighing the pros and cons.

“What we're trying to do is sort out what is the best thing for our football team,” he said. “Our players and coaches have heard me say this a million times, 'The decisions we make here are all about the team, the team, the team.’ It's not about any individual coach or player. We will continue to do that going forward. I have a lot of responsibilities as a head coach of this football team.”

Garrett’s commanded the offense since he took over as coordinator in 2007. Now two and a half seasons into his head coaching career, it sounds like his role as an offensive play-caller will decrease.

“It's my job as the head coach of the team to create a structure and a vision for everybody to have a role that helps us be the best team that we can be,” he said. Read